Coffee Day
by Festive
Summary: Axel is an employee of a upbeat cafe in down town New York City, Roxas is a regular. A heart warming story of how they become more than just waiter and customer... Dedicated to my Roxas. Rated M for later chapters.


**Disclaimers: Axel, Roxas and all other KH characters that may appear later on belong to Squeenix, only the story and plot belongs to me 8Db  
**

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It was a busy day, busier than normal. Today was one of those rare days when I was working the grind all by my lonesome. It seemed like almost every seat in the entire interior of my trendy little coffee shop was full of people. Except one counter stool I had purposefully kept empty

"It's a little wobbly, if you know what I mean." I lied with a wink.

Business had been steady from 8:30 in the morning till 3:00 this evening. I had to start asking for those midday shifts…

I had been grinding some fresh beans for the evening shift when I heard the mechanical chime of the door bell and felt a gust of winter air blow itself in with the newest customer. It was fairly busy still, but no new patrons had come in for the betterment of a half an hour.

I glanced up from my task then smiled knowingly down at my beans. He looked fine today too.

The quiet blonde by name of Roxas had been coming regularly to this coffee shop since before I had started working here. He never pushed or demanded my attention, he'd just sit there until I came over and he always ordered the same drink; half and half, and sometimes he would ask for a slice of cake or a cookie. Though I figured it was just because someone had told him he should vary his selections every so often, not because he particularly wanted to.

He looked like the kind of guy who may seem indifferent, but actually cared a lot what other people thought about him. But hey…

That's just my speculation.

I poured the grinds I had just made carefully into a tin and closed it, breathing in the scent of fresh coffee while surreptitiously watching him as he stared at the ceiling. Must have been a bad day. I brushed my hands off on my stained apron and trotted over to him, smiling as disarmingly as I could manage "Rough day Roxas? What can I get you?"

He looked up at me after a second; normally he wasn't this spacey but today he just looked beat. He was wearing a black and white checkered toque, I noticed for no particular reason. It looked handmade. I wondered if it was his girlfriend or his mother who had made it…. I settled for my own self interest on the latter. It was chilly outside so he'd dug out the fur lined black winter coat and as some sort of last vestige to the summer that was long over, he was wearing a well loved pair of holey jeans.

The advantages of height could be very useful for checking out your favorite customer. I also assumed that said female, be it partner or matron, had forced him to wear the hat.

He hummed for a moment "Oh… yeah, sort of," he laughed a little but there wasn't much humor in it "Half and half and….," he looked over into the show case of pastries and other baked goods, I looked with him and based on what he had gotten the last time he was here…. I settled on the strawberry cheese cake. He had ordered a large chocolate chip cookie the last time he was here.

"How's the strawberry cheese cake…?

Bingo.

I grinned lopsidedly as I pushed away from the counters edge I had been leaning on and snatched up a coffee cup from the top of the stack "Delicious."

"Okay… I'll have a slice of that, please… "

"Sure thing…" I trailed off; focusing for the moment on not burning myself as I poured him his coffee and wondered what it was exactly that had left him so… exhausted. "So… rough day at work or something..?" I left his coffee there for a moment, moving over to the display case and reaching in to take out a slice of cake, looking back over at him.

Must've really been a long day for the poor kid.

"No… well, yeah. Just… got there a little late and forgot my lunch and lost my wallet for an hour, I found it though, so don't worry about that…," He raised his hand wearily in his defense. I stood up from where I had been bending over to take out his slice and laughed whole heartedly. "Don't worry about it Roxas. This is on the house for today, I've been there done that!" I placed his cake onto a plate, snagged a fork then walked back over, scooping up his coffee on the way.

"Here you go, c'mon just take it and be thankful." His eyebrows drew up together but his smile told me volumes. Little things like this could really brighten a person's day.

"Thanks Axel… this helps." He said and took an appreciative sip of the coffee.

"Hey no problem, Roxas, good to hear it."

Licking my lips absently I spent the rest of his visit just doing menial chores; washing the counter, stacking more cups, grinding more beans all the while discreetly watching him, all of his little movements and facial expressions I had come to endear while milking our innocent, trivial conversations.

He mentioned that the coffee I made had always been his favorite; I make sure it's a fresh pot every time he comes in. He looks mildly embarrassed but laughs it off and salutes me with his cup.

I watch the way he cuts his fork through the end of the cheese cake and picks it up carefully, placing it in his mouth and chewing thoughtfully for a little while, then swallowing.

Good manners.

I was beginning to think that an attentive mother was responsible for all of the homely little quirks I was seeing in this kid and not a bossy girlfriend.

He looks up at me watching him after a couple of moments of silence.

Oops. He caught me; I smile but don't look sorry at all for my own benefit. "How's it taste?" I play it off.  
He looks a little embarrassed again and swallows thickly "It's… its really good. As always," What are you embarrassed about? I think to myself. I'm the one who was eyeballing you and your perfect table manners. But I grin and plead the fifth "Thanks, I made that myself, you know?"

He looks comically shocked "Sorry… I didn't mean to seem rude or anything. You just… don't seem the type." I bent to wash my hands in the sink and shook my head, "Nah, I don't blame you. I wouldn't think I was the type either. But, my mama taught me when I started working here. Kinda panicked you know, telling the manager, "Of course I can bake!" When he asked, I could make coffee fine, sure. But baking? Not so much."

Roxas laughed then, a musical sound that I could definitely get used to. "Oh I can picture it. " I laughed with him as I was drying my hands; I hadn't noticed that most of the customers were gone. I probably wouldn't have noticed if someone new had come in. My attention was all on Roxas.

Roxas.

Well, the evening passed and he finished his coffee and cake, we said our good-byes and he left. It was about an hour before closing and I found myself inexplicably lonely. Roxas had been doing this to me for a while now, couldn't tell you when it started. He just snagged me and held my attention like a… a… babe in a hot red dress surrounded by nuns. What a word picture.

I laughed to myself while closing up shop as the image of Roxas in a red dress surrounded by frowning nuns circled around my head. Locking the doors and huddling into my jacket and scarf I blew out a breath of hot aired and started walking down the street and not for the first time wished I had someone to go home to.


End file.
